MOTT, John

  General Notes:

John Mott is the one figure in my family history that I have perhaps spent the most time on trying to fathom. As a young boy I had heard the family legend that this young Quaker's home had been invaded by Hessian soldiers just prior to the battle of Trenton and that John, in defending his wife and family had killed three soldiers and then left to join Washington's army, serving as a guide in the famous crossing of the Delaware and the battle of Trenton. My studies have concluded that there is probably more truth than fiction in this legend, but his exact identity has been clouded over the years by the existence of other John Motts in the New Jersey revolutionary army or militia. I have done pretty extensive research into the other John Motts living at the time, but there are more roads to explore in this matter. I devoted a website to my research into this which can be found at http://www.spicerweb.org/Genealogy/Mott/mottofthethirdbattalion.htm

That he is the son of Ebenezer and Sarah Mott of Burlington County, New Jersey comes from the recollection of John's granddaughter, Amanda Theodocia Jones, who was the source of much of the "legend" of John Mott. The historical record would give credence to that. What happened to him during the years during and following the Revolution to his death are sketchy, although it appears that he moved to Pittstown, New York where his oldest son was born, this born out by the census records of 1800 and 1810. The family for a long time supposed he moved to Bridgewater, Oneida County, NY sometime after that, but there is another, well documented, John Mott on the census of 1820 in Bridgewater with whom I believe he has been confused. I do believe that he moved to Oneida County. According to Amanda Jones her mother, John's youngest daughter, was born in Oriskany in 1813, and his oldest son, Mayhew Daggett Mott, enrolled in the militia in 1814 in Whitestown, NY, both places in the Mohawk valley between Rome and Utica. I believe that John and his wife may be buried in or near those communities, although it is possible that they returned to Pittstown with their son Mayhew Daggett Mott when he married there in 1821.
. ^{2 3}

  Noted events in his life were:

• He was named in will of Ebenezer Mott in 1770 in Burlington County, NJ, Northampton Township. Heir to his father's farm.

• 1774: John MOTT disunited from the Burlington, NJ Quaker Monthly meeting.

• Tax List: 1774, Burlington County, NJ, Northampton Township. August Tax Lists, page 074. ID#: NJS1a2245057

• Tax List: 1774, Burlington County, NJ, Northampton Township. Listed in the ratetables of September, 1774 as Head of Household.

• John MOTT listed as Pvt. John Mott of Burlington in Stryker's Register of Officers and Men of New Jersey. Page 679.

• John MOTT: Listed in the DAR Patriot Index. This is circular documentation as this information would have come from my own families application.

• He appeared on the census in 1790 in Rensselaerwick Township, Albany Co., NY. ⁵ Page 278. One male 16 and over, one male under 16, 3 females.
This corresponds to the children listed in the Bible. The one male over 16 would be John, the one male under 16 would be William Mann, stepson, and the three females would be his second wife Bulah and daughters Bulah and Elizabeth.

• He appeared on the census in 1800 in Pittstown, Rensselaer Co., NY. ⁶ (p790) 2 Males under 10; 1 male 16-26; 1 male 45 and over; 1 female under 10; 1 female 45 and over. (Mayhew Daggett by Naomi, John by Bulah, William Mann stepson, John; Females work only if Bulah and Elizabeth by Bulah died young and the one female under 10 is Ruth E. by Naomi. The fact that Naomi and John had a Bulah would indicate that Bulah by Bulah died young.)

• He appeared on the census in 1810 in Petersburg, Albany Co., NY. Doubtful: Petersburg is about 8 miles as the crow flies from Pittstown where he appears in 1800. 1 male 16-25, one male 45 and over; 4 females 10-15, 2 females 16-25, one female 26-45, one female 45 and over. This record does not jive with the family.

John married Sarah about 1771. (Sarah was born on an unknown date and died circa 1779 in Hunterdon County, NJ.)

John next married Beulah about 1786.

John next married Naomi DAGGETT, daughter of Mayhew DAGGETT and Esther ATWATER, on 26 Jan 1794.^{1 2} (Naomi DAGGETT was born on 15 Jun 1769 in Charlotte, Dutchess, New York ^{2 7} and died on 11 Jul 1840 ².)